The Last Song
by SVUlover
Summary: That became my last song as I took my final breath, and closed my eyes for the last time.


**Here's a oneshot -- beware it's sad. Just popped in to my head during HM the movie -- don't ask why. Enjoy, and review please! **

Song -- Let Me Go, by 3 Doors Down

* * *

I still found my escape in this cemetery. It was so ironic now, considering you'd think I'd want to be as far away from here as possible. Soon, I'd be here enough. Soon, I'd be buried beneath the ground I sat upon.

I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be getting ready for the Hannah concert. But I couldn't be. I was home. In Tennessee. Where in reality, this all started. It all started with my mother.

_The doctor that had been running extensive tests on me for the past two days walked in to the room. _

_Dad and Jackson stood from the table where they'd been sitting, silently staring at the TV that played some kind of sports game they hadn't really been watching, and took their places on either side of me. _

"_We have a diagnosis." Doctor Johnson said. "It seems that, unfortunately, you have the same disease that killed your mother. You have cancer. T-cell-prolymphocytic leukemia." _

_Three words. You have cancer. Two days. Running tests, drawing blood, trying to find out what was wrong. One life. Mine. Over. _

_Dad let out a sound that sounded like a mix of a sob, and a angry outburst, placing his head in his hands. Jackson punched a wall. I stared at him. _

"_Unfortunately, there have been no further findings on this type of cancer. The survival rate hasn't gone up." _

"_How long?" Dad whispered. _

_The doctor looked apologetic as he said softly, "Less then three months. I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do. If we had found out sooner..."_

_I knew what he was saying. If I hadn't been so set on finishing Hannah's tour before finding out what was making me so tired and sick all the time, I may have had a chance, however small. _

_But I guess, in a way, I knew this was coming. We had always known it could happen eventually. It had happened to my mother's grandmother. To my mother, to my mother's sister. It was my turn. I'd just never thought it'd happen so soon. I was only just turned seventeen. I wasn't ready to die. _

"_Now it's just a matter of choosing how, and where..." _

"_I wanna go home." I said, my first words since he'd walked in. "I want to die at home." _

"_Of course," Dad said, desperate to give me anything he could, knowing it could be the last thing he would ever give to me. "Discharge her, now please. I'll take you home, and you can get comfortable and-"_

"_No, daddy. I wanna go back to Tennessee. I want to die at home. I want to be with mommy. For forever." I whispered. _

_He looked at me, and gently lifted his hands to my face, and I looked up at him. I saw the tears swimming in his eyes, and he nodded, kissing my forehead. "I'll make the arrangements. I'll call Vida. I won't have you on a commercial flight like...this." He whispered. "We'll go home. Tomorrow." _

And we did. Grandma had her living room turned in to a room for me – I couldn't make it up the stairs anymore.

A morphine like was put in. A needle inserted in to the crook of my elbow, tubing taped down until it reached the little box, a red button I pushed that gave me morphine whenever I was in pain. A nurse from a hospice program checked in every day.

Lily and Oliver had opted to switch to homeschooling for the remainder of junior year so they could come out and be with me. Jackson dropped out of college. Memaw, Aunt Dolly, Uncle Earl, Aunt Pearl. They all came in and out, they all never wanted to leave.

I was dying day by day, and everyone knew it.

I had maybe a month left. But there was something that had to be taken care of. Hannah.

Dad and Vida planned and planned. A final farewell concert in the stage where this all began. Where I sang when I was six, where I took the wig off for the first time. This would be where I last sang. And where I planned to take the wig off for the final time. This concert was televised, every fan that didn't have a ticket or couldn't be there was asked to tune in.

But here I was, unable to go. I'd snuck away, dad was probably worried sick.

I knew they were there before they spoke. They silently sat next to me.

"It won't be long now." I said quietly. "Soon, I'll be under here."

"Miley," Lily whispered, "Why do you..."

"Talk about it all the time?" I'd subjected them to listen to me talk about ti all the time. "Because it's going to happen, Lily. I'm dying. Every day I get closer to leaving. It's going to happen, and I can't stop it!"

"But you have control of Hannah," Oliver said, taking my hand. "You have the power to make your final mark, Miley. Why are you doing this?"

"Hiding?" I asked. "Because...Just because Miley dies doesn't mean Hannah has to. They'll just think she...went away. I can be alive somehow. I don't want Hannah to die."

"You are Hannah, Miles." Oliver said.

"You knew it would come eventually." Lily said quietly.

"Hannah's last song? Yea. I knew she couldn't last forever. But mine? No."

"Miley!" Lily shouted, standing up. "You're dying! You've said it so simply all the time, so don't back out now! All those fans down there, all those people, they deserve answers! You think this is easy for us? On your dad, Jackson, the rest of your family? I don't want to...hear Hannah's song at school, and not be able to explain why I'm crying! Maybe I'm being selfish...but you have to do this. You can't let Hannah just slide away. They all love you. Let them...let them tell Hannah goodbye. Sing your last song, Miley. Let yourself tell Hannah goodbye."

--

I stood behind the stage before I went on. I heard the people out there. Thousands. Plus news crews.

I sat in the wheelchair that had been left by the hospice at my grandma's house, and looked up at the starry night.

"Baby," Dad said, coming up beside me softly. "It's time."

I was exhausted. I'd sung every song off of Hannah's three albums, every song I'd ever sung in a movie she'd done.

It had taken three hours. I'd had to take many breaks.

But it was time.

I nodded slowly. "Alright." I said softly.

He took the handle's and wheeled me up the ramp. I simply couldn't stand anymore. He left me at the entrance, and went on stage, taking a microphone.

"Attention everyone, Hannah's ready to come back on. She has news for you. We request your silence and respect. This is hard for everyone. Lilly, Oliver?" He asked. Lilly gripped the handles of the wheelchair, and pushed me on stage, Oliver followed with my microphone.

Everyone gasped at the addition of the wheelchair.

"Hi everyone." I spoke softly in to the microphone. "You've been supporting me for...years. And I want to thank you all for that. But eventually, all good things must come to an end. When I was twelve, I had a dream. A dream to sing. But I wanted to have a way to escape...to be normal. And so with the help of my parents, and my family, I made Hannah Montana. You all know Hannah. Over the years, I've gone though a lot. One of the biggest things was when I lost my mom to a malicious cancer. She was diagnosed and died six months later. Two months ago...I was diagnosed with the same cancer." I said softly. "I was diagnosed with T-cell-prolymphocytic leukemia. I was given three months to live."

Gasps, cries, screams flew from every where.

"But Hannah wasn't diagnosed. Miley Stewart was." I whispered in to the mic. "Under this wig," I stated, pulling it off, "I'm Miley." My hair fell to my shoulders. "We asked everyone possible attend or tune in to this concert...because this is it for me." I said, tearing up. "I'm dying. I'm leaving this earth soon. But I had to tell you guys...I needed to sing one last song." I nodded at the musicians, who were crying, but they began to play.

"_One more kiss could be the best thing  
But one more lie could be the worst  
And all these thoughts are never resting  
And you're not something I deserve_

In my head there's only you now  
This world falls on me  
In this world there's real and make believe  
And this seems real to me"

As I sang, I cried. Dad cried. Jackson cried. Oliver cried. Lily Cried. Grandma, Memaw, and Aunt Dolly cried.

"_You love me but you don't know who I am  
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand  
And you love me but you don't know who I am  
So let me go  
Let me go_

I dream ahead to what I hope for  
And I turn my back on loving you  
How can this love be a good thing  
When I know what I'm goin through

In my head there's only you now  
This world falls on me  
In this world there's real and make believe  
And this seems real to me

You love me but you don't know who I am  
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand  
You love me but you don't know who I am  
So let me go  
Just Let me go...  
Let me go

And no matter how hard I try  
I can't escape these things inside I know  
I know..  
When all the pieces fall apart  
You will be the only one who knows  
Who knows

You love me but you don't know who I am  
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand  
And you love me but you don't know Who I am  
So let me go  
Just let me go

And you love me but you don't  
You love me but you don't  
You love me but you don't know who I am  
And you love me but you don't  
You love me but you don't  
You love me but you don't know me"

As I finished, I saw tears in the eyes of the audience, of everyone on stage.

I gathered my strength, and raised the microphone to my lips. "Thank you, for everything. Without you, Hannah wouldn't have existed. Now it's time for me to go. Everyone – my fans, my friends, my family....let me go. But don't forget me." I breathed out. "Please don't forget me. Thank you. I love you all. Thanks forgiving me my dream...and letting me sing my last song."

I held the mic to my chest, the wig in my hands too, as the applause thundered, and I was wheeled off stage.

"Where too?" Daddy whispered.

"Home." I said softly. "Home will always be where my last song is."

--

I lay in the bed, unable to move. A breathing mask covered my face. My finger pressed the morphine button every so often. I drifted in and out of sleep.

My family and close friends never left.

I don't know how long it's been since the concert, I've lost track of time.

I slept more and more, and finally, I gathered what strength I had, and pulled the mask away from my face. "It's time." I breathed out.

Daddy looked over at me, hitting Jackson's shoulder, and he woke up, and after a while, everyone was awake.

I don't know how I knew...but I knew.

"Baby don't go," Daddy whispered, holding my hand, stroking my hair. Jackson sat on my other side. Lily and Olive stood behind my father, crying. I hadn't seen dry eyes in days.

"I love you daddy," I mouthed, then opened my mouth, and sang, changing the lyrics a little, "_This world falls on me  
In this world there's real and make believe  
And this seems real to me_

You love me but you don't know who I am  
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand  
You love me  
So let me go  
Let me go

_Just Let me go..."_

I blinked rapidly, as it became harder to breathe, but I saw him nod, and felt him kiss my forehead.

That became my last song as I took my final breath, and closed my eyes for the last time.

_--_

The day of Miley Stewart's funeral was cloudy, exactly how everyone was feeling.

Her family and friends gathered in the church for the service, but many people flocked tot he cemetery.

The casket was open, to be closed after her father and brother said goodbye a final time.

Everyone was silenced, as they approached.

Miley lay on the pink satin, in a white dress. Her hair was in waved that framed her peaceful face.

The jewelry she always wore was on her fingers, wrists, ankles, and neck. Tucked in to the sides off the coffin was the Hannah wig, and a microphone, and her arms were around her pink guitar. So she could make music in heaven, Robbie Ray had said.

Jackson bent and kissed his sister's forehead, whispering a goodbye. Robbie Ray stood over his daughter's coffin and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Miley. Give me a sign," He pleaded, "That you're ok."

The casket was closed by Robbie and Jackson, and then was lowered, and the hole filled.

Everyone but her family and close friends had left, and her father, brother, grandmothers, god mother, and best friends raised their hands, and let go of the strings of hot pink balloons, and they watched as the floated up to heaven. Just then, the sun moved form behind the clouds, and shone on them, and the birds began to chirp and sing, the melody sounding like the last song Miley had sung.

--

_Dear everyone,_

_I can't have a real will, but this is what I'm doing. Lilly, I want you to have whatever you want of my clothes, shoes, jewelry. Anything in my closet, or Hannah's. Even if you wont wear it and you want it to remember me, Take it. Grandma Ruby, I left mom's locket in my room in Malibu. I know she'd want you to have it. Daddy, you gave me mom's wedding rings, and I wore them for years. But I left those at home in Malibu too. Its time for you to take them back now. Oliver, I know how much you wanted to sing. Don't think of this as me getting you signed, it's not, but I want you to call Hannah's company. They promised me they'd let you audition – weather or not you're good is up to them. But I know you are. Just do me a favor? When you sing, think of me. I want Hannah's money to be used to pay for you, Lily and Oliver, to go to the colleges of your dreams. I've had my banker set up trust funds with three hundred thousand dollars for each of you, to be used for college. Jackson, you're halway through college...you dropped out. I know daddy could pay for it, but I want to. I've left you the same amout. Use whats left over to do what you want. There will more then likely be more money left, and a lot of it. Donate at least half to charity. The rest it to be split between you guys. My father, my brother, my grandmothers, my godmother, and my two best friends. Do with it what you will. If there's anything else any of you want – take it, it's yours. I leave it all to you guys. _

_I'm leaving this letter between the mattress, knowing you'll find it, eventually. It's dark as I'm writing it. I didn't know how to do this, how to write my final goodbyes. But I have too. I love you all, and don't worry – wherever I am now, I know I'll be with mom. There are so many things I'll never get to do. _

_I'll never get to fall in love, get married, make love, have kids. I'll never get to feel a baby in my stomach, here it's cries. I'll never grow old with my husband and watch our grandchildren run in our yard. Because I'm dead at seventeen. At first, I asked why me. Then I realized – why not me? It was my time, as hard as it is to accept. This is how it is meant to be. But I'm never really gone. I'll always be here at home in Crowley Corners. I know you guys will all grow up, move away...but always come here on the anniversary of my death. I'll be waiting and I'll send you a sign. Listen for my last song, and remember me. I'll be there. Always. Whenever you need me, visit where I'm buried. I'll be there. Just remember the last song. _

_I love you all, and I'll see you in eternity, _

_Love always, _

_Miley Ray Stewart_

Though time passed, and they all spread to different parts of the world. Some married had children...every year on the anniversary, just as Miley requested, they reunited at Crowley Corners, and visited her grave. And every year, it was cloudy, but they turned up, and released hot pink balloons, and the sun came out, and they knew she was there with them as the birds chirped in the tune of Miley's last song.


End file.
